Ramblings of a Warrior
by Violet Rose of Darkness
Summary: Pan comes to terms with her grandfather leaving.


**So... I don't know where, exactly, I was going with this, but here you go. I hope you enjoy.**

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I watch.

I watch as Grandpa flies away with Shenron. I watch as everyone pretends that things are okay, that everything's fine. They're liars, fakers. Everything is definitely not okay. Why? Why don't they understand that he's going away again? Why don't they understand that he's not coming back? Why isn't Grandma screaming her head off at him to come back? Why is no one trying to stop him?

The only one who makes any sense at all is Vegeta. "Hold onto that Pan," he instructs me as I clutch Grandpa's gi to me. I nod and do as he says. He seems to be the only one besides me acknowledging that Grandpa's gone and because of that, he's just about my favorite person right now.

As we fly home, Trunks seems to notice my despair and asks what's wrong. I contemplate screaming at him for that (he'd supposed to be so smart, he should _know_ what's wrong), but I just shake my head. "Nothing," I lie. I'm not sure if he believes me or not and, honestly, I don't care. But he doesn't say anything more about it, so neither do I.

OoOoOo

As the years go on, I pour all my energy into training. I push myself to my limits, harder than I ever had before. Vegeta is my instructor for the most part and, with his help, I ascend to levels two and three with ease. Trunks and Uncle Goten are beside themselves with how strong I've gotten. Well, maybe if they put as much effort into getting stronger as I do, they'd be at level four by now.

Grandpa is who is usually on my mind as I train. I keep thinking that if I get strong enough, he'll come back. If he sees the potential in me that he saw in Uub, he'll be there to help me. Of course, he never does come back. But that doesn't stop me from hoping every single day. Papa lets me, he understands why I do it. I think he used to do the same when he was my age, waiting for Grandpa to come back.

Bulla and Mamma don't get it, I don't expect them to.

Grandma, surprisingly, does though. She encourages me to continue. Sometimes she even watches me from afar, gently instructing my form. When you have the power of a Saiyan, you forget little things like that.

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So, I train as long as I can. I watch as all my family (Grandma goes first, then Momma, Papa, and finally Uncle Goten) and friends (it starts with Marron before Bulla, Trunks, and Uub go too) perish around me. But I'm still here. If you asked me why, I wouldn't be able to answer that. It wasn't because I was the strongest, not even close. That title belonged to Vegeta. It wasn't because I was the youngest either, because that would be Bulla.

The one hundred years feel like no time at all to me.

I could take that. Though it nearly tears me apart, my daughter dies in labor. I could take that too. And I could take that only because she left me my wonderful grandson, Goku Jr. I know I'm hard on him sometimes and maybe I shouldn't be. Maybe I only am because he looks just like Grandpa. But as the last of the Z Fighters, I need him to uphold the legacy when I'm gone. Perhaps that's selfish of me, but he ascends, doesn't he? That boy has great things in him, I know it.

As I watch the fight between him and Vegeta Jr., I get a strange chill when I spot a certain head of hair in the crowd. It couldn't be... could it? I follow that person hopefully, working my way through everyone, but my face falls when the figure disappears. I thought... maybe for a moment Grandpa finally noticed me.

But even if he was here, he'd be here for Goku Jr., not me.

Shaking my head at my elderly hallucinations, I reluctantly go back to my seat. Maybe Grandpa was there, maybe he wasn't. But I'm not here for him, I'm here for my grandson.

 _I may put a lot of pressure on Goku Jr.,_ I think bitterly. _but at least I'm around for my grandson._

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 **Pan has always been my favorite character. Ever since I saw GT (don't kill me, I'm nostalgic) years ago, I've always loved her. I hope I did her justice here. Anyway, please review!**


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